The Murder at World's End

By Ross Montgomery

Book Overview

Secrets, murder, and mayhem collide as this unlikely sleuthing duo--an under-butler and a foul-mouthed octogenarian--hunt a killer in a manor sealed against the end of the world.

Cornwall, 1910. On a remote tidal island, the Viscount of Tithe Hall is absorbed in feverish preparations for the apocalypse that he believes will accompany the passing of Halley's Comet. The Hall must be sealed from top to bottom--every window, chimney, and keyhole closed off before night falls. But what the pompous, dishonest Viscount has failed to take into account is the danger that lies within... By morning, he will be dead in his sealed study, murdered by his own ancestral crossbow.

All eyes turn to Steven Pike, Tithe Hall's newest under-butler. Fresh out of Borstal for a crime he didn't commit, he is the wrong man in the wrong place at the wrong time. His unlikely ally? Miss Decima Stockingham, the foul-mouthed, sharp as a tack, eighty-year-old family matriarch. Fearless and unconventional, she relishes chaos and puzzles alike, and a murder is just the thrill she's been waiting for.

Together, this mismatched duo must navigate secret passages, buried grudges, and rising terror to unmask the killer before it's too late...

• Format: MP3 CD
• Language: English
• ISBN13: 9798228693494
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: HarperAudio

Customer Reviews

Laugh yourself silly

The odd house known as World's End has things like butler's mirrors and stairs that can get one lost is located on an island on the Cornish coast that is inaccessible according to the tides. The owner is a self-described viscount (who calls himself a scientist), his unusual aunt (who is a self-studied scientist) who lives in the part of the mansion that has no electricity, and there are guests as well as the usual complement of staff. The narrator is a young man who is there because one of the family requested him from the charity house that rehabilitates those releases from prison. It is 1910 and the world awaits the appearance of Halley's comet. The viscount (and all currently staying there) are convinced that the comet will strike the earth. Thus the servants are instructed to seal each person (and themselves) into their rooms so that no "poisonous air" can get to them overnight. Right. The viscount is murdered overnight by means of a crossbow bolt through the eye. The crossbow and bolt a customarily with the suit of armor directly across from the victim's door. Now the monkeyshines begin. Everyone begins to demonstrate their quirkiness, and a detective is sent from Scotland Yard who makes the Keystone Kops look calm and efficient. The elderly aunt commandeers the newest member of the household staff (she is wheelchair bound) and while she is the idea person, he does what she tells him to and also adds good new ideas. A totally delightful fun read! Peter Sellers would LOVE it. I requested and received a temporary uncorrected review e-proof from William Morrow via NetGalley. Pub Date Jan 06, 2026 #preorder print, audio, e-book #TheMurderatWorldsEnd @mossmontmomery #StockinghamandPikeBK1 @williammorrowbooks @Netgalley @vikingbooksuk @harpercollins @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial ***** Review #thestorygraph #bookshop_org #bookshop_org_uk #bookshop_org_ca #bumblingdetective #lockedroommystery #HistoricalMystery #MysteryThriller #farce #thefancyaredifferent